


Why the skull?

by GrimdarkMassacre



Series: From top to bottom and Vice Versa [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Blood, Death, Fake AH Crew, GTA Universe, Heist, Swearing, Violence, a little bit Ray centric, b team, build team - Freeform, maybe fluff later, no kdin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-15 05:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4595289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrimdarkMassacre/pseuds/GrimdarkMassacre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Geoff is the Boss, Jack is the co-leader...  pilot, Michael is the artillery... Mogar, Gavin is the hacker... Freedom,  Ray is the sniper... Brownman.<br/>During the last heist something happened to Ray, no one has been told what and Ray barely knows either. Ryan is soon to come into the crew and he might just shed some light on this predicament.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First fic. sorry its a bit ehh. hope you like.

Ray snuggled into the couch contently. Michael and Gavin were fighting on the floor in the middle of the apartment.

"X-Ray, boi help!" Gavin squawks, "Boi." Ray smirks and closes his eyes, back to daydreaming.

0000000000

“Heist” 

Geoff and Jack stormed the bank. Screaming broke out but above it Ray could hear Geoff and Jack yelling at everyone to get down over the com. While they had crowd control Gavin and Michael stormed in. Jack ran through the bank and out the back exit leaving the crowd to Geoff. 

“Charge one set!” Michael yelled. Through the com Ray could just hear the charge go off. He leaned a little more on the ledge of the roof. He was atop the building across the bank. “Charge two set” Sirens wailed in the distance. The crack of the explosive came over the com. “Vault time!”

“I got the car ready out back, bring the cases!” Jack’s smile was nearly visible in her voice

Ray lined the scope and shot at the first police car. The car jerked to the side and swerved into another car. He lined up more shots, some at the drivers and some at the tires. Cars flipped all over the road. The left road was now blocked.

“Hey on the ground! HEY!” a gunshot rang over the intercom after Geoff’s voice. 

“Resistance?” Ray asked 

“Not anymore Brownman.” Geoff huffed.

Ray fired into the other direction, picking off the police that had rounded the block. Now all ray had to do was keep the police away and keep the right side of the road open for the getaway. 

“This is it boys!” Michael yells, “Hell yeah boi that’s the last! Boss out front!” As Michael yells it the armored van peels around the building, harshly stopping out front. Geoff bursts through the bank doors and runs into the awaiting van. They skid as they take off. 

“Head out Brownman!” Geoff hollered. The other boys and Jack letting out cheers. Ray packed his sniper and climbed down the ladder into the alley. He sprints to the motorcycle hidden behind the store. As the engine revs to life a sharp pain appears on the left side of Rays head and he goes unconscious.

00000000000

Rays body hits the floor as he flails helplessly off the couch. 

“X-Ray boy. Wha-happened?” Gavin jumped up from the other couch where he and Michael sat playng.

“Nothin’ shit dreams.” Gavin grabs at Rays arm to help him up, only actually slowing down the process. “Vav gimme my fucking arm.” Gavin dropped it.

“Sorry Ray.” Gav mumbled taking a step back. Michael reach an arm around his waist and pulled Gavin to him. “Just tryin’a help.” Ray nodded as he stands. Gav usually has good intentions, he just goes about them stupidly. Ray walked away and to his room. He needed an actual rest for once.

0000000000000

"Micoo what do you thinks wrong with Ray?" Gav asks slowly.

"I don't know. He's been a little off since the last heist. Remember he disappeared for a little right after and wasn't home until the next morning. It probably has to do with that." Michael says back. He doesn't really wanna think about when ray had walked in. The left side of his head was dried with blood. He didn't have his sniper anymore or his phone. He'd walked right past the crew who had all slept in the living room waiting. Only Michael and Gavin had been up and Ray had said nothing at all.

"should we check on him?" Gav asks. Michael shook his head. Maybe Ray just needs to be alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> why the skull? Comes into play. Ray continues his dream of the last heist... this is mostly Rays dream. Jack and Geoff create... more or less... a plan. Gavin/Michael/Geoff implied/mentioned. RYYYYAAAAANNN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't update Monday so i'm updating today! Enjoy!

Ray lay in bed twirling a card. It had been one of the few things he’d woken up with after the heist. The card had a human skull on it. The skull was colored grey and the background of the card was decorated with fake blood spatters. The entire card was covered in a laminate to protect it from wear. 

“Why the skull though?” Ray wondered aloud. He continued to flip the card with the skull until eventually he fell asleep.

000000000000

“Jack we need a new guy.” Geoff said. “We don’t have enough man power to pull off this big of a heist and with Ray hardly leaving the apartment after whatever that was… We just need someone!” He sounded like he was grasping for reasons, for anything that would mean a new person.

Jack barley thought for a second. “Are you saying this because of the Mad King’s Trek?” All of the Fake AH had watched over the news as towns were ransacked with heists all leading down to the city of Los Santos. If they had kept good enough tabs on the movement, the Mad King would be here within the next two days, and that could really fuck with their plans. 

“Maybe. I just think he could be useful to us.” Geoff sighs, “That and he’s either for or against us.” Jack nods and thinks for a few more minutes.

“How do we find him, nonetheless ask him?” Geoff sighs at Jacks question. “Gavin? Maybe he can try to track him.” Geoff nods. That’s all they can probably do for now.

“Yeah let’s ask him to get on that.” Geoff says. He begins to leave the room, Jack following after. Geoff glides through the kitchen first grabbing a bottle of alcohol and proceeding into the living room.

Gavin sits on Michael’s lap, making out as Geoff and Jack walk in. Jack can’t help the smirk that crawls onto her face. Geoff looks like he’s taking interest in the scene before him. Jack nudges him out of it.

“Gav! Michael!” They both jump apart at Geoff shouting. “Alright. Gavin we need you to track down the Mad King, you think you can?”

“Yeah boi… but uh…” Gavin glances from Geoff to Michael, and then back to Geoff, “When because… um…”

Jack takes the hint at Geoff’s face and leaves the room to her own. Geoff nods at the guys and Gavin is all over Michael again. Geoff sits across from then downing his bottle of liquor. Eventually he pulls them up. Michael and Gavin stay latched together as Geoff drags them both to his room.

000000000

…Ray’s eyes opened to the bare sky. Heat was pummeling him from all angles. His head ached and the left side throbbed. Ray brought his hand to the left side of his head. When he pulled away dried blood flaked off. He sat up pushing away dried branches from his face. 

Next to him were two water bottles and nothing else. He stood up away from the branches and picked the bottles up. Ray pocketed one and downed half of the other. He capped it and put it in his other pocket. Ray’s fingers brushed against something laminated. He pulled out a card, a card with a grey skull, a card with fake blood, and more importantly a card he hadn’t had before. So it had to mean something… right?

Ray checked what else he had, or in this case what he didn’t have. His white masquerade mask was gone. His custom pink sniper was gone. His phone was gone. His motorcycle was gone. All he had was a skull card, one and a half bottles of water, and the clothes on his back.

He looked around him. He had been laid practically in a bush, the only one he could see. He stood next to said bush on a tiny rock outcrop that blended into the large hill behind him. The rocks were coated lightly with sand as was the base of the hill. On the other side of the bush were railroad tracks. On his side of the track there was a dirt road. 

“Fuuuuuuuuuck.” Ray moaned. The sound hurt his head more. He sighed and began walking to his right. Ray followed this until he came out to a paved road. In the distance were the Vinewood Hills, so he took a left heading towards them. Even an hour and a half later he was still in the Grand Senora Desert and the Vinewood Hills were still way in the distance. He was down to one water bottle. Only a little while after that he reached the more lush part of the Grand Senora Desert, where grass began to spring up and then came bushes and trees. And still his head was too fuzzy to think and his body screaming to stop moving, he kept going.

Ray continued to follow this road for two more hours. Following the curves and staying away from where it branched out. And then finally he reached Vinewood Hills with only a third of his water bottle left. He kept walking his mind still too fuzzy to be able to pull off a carjacking. He walked another half hour to fully enter the city of Los Santos. Ray stayed on the same road even through the city and ignored all the eyes attracted to his bloodied head. 

For some reason he forgot where he was going entirely. He just kept walking. He stopped when the straight path did and he was just stuck on a corner. The night sky had taken over a while ago. Ray stopped and looked up. He should be home in bed. He looked over to a street sign that read Strawberry Ln. Under that the sign said the intersecting road was Elgin Ave. “Fuuuck” He mumbled. Way past where he should be. “I’m in the completely wrong area, aren’t I?” 

It took him about twenty more minutes to get home after that. He ignored Michael’s look and went to his own room to pass out in his own bed.

00000000000

Ray woke up in his room He hated that dream so much. From the dreamed pain in his head, to the aching of his body, to the boredom of reliving all that walking… although he could hardly remember it anyway. It wasn’t so much that it scared him he just… was pissed and upset… and maybe a little frightened that he couldn’t figure out what happened or why it happened. If someone was out for revenge they would’ve just killed him.

After lying in his bed and just contemplating he got up and took a shower.

00000000000

Ryan walked down his hallway and opened the closet door. He put down a case that help a pink sniper rifle and placed a white masquerade mask limply on top. A black and grey motorcycle sat in his garage. And incase stealing all this, and hurting one of their crew members wasn’t enough for the Fake AH to track him down, he had a cell with fake names and faker contacts, but in the mix of them all, four of them would enable him to harass the Fake AH crew. 

He would find them eventually. Ryan would find them and prove he was worthy to be in their crew one way or another. After all his freelancing career was heading downhill. No one wants to hire a psycho, and he really needed some others to protect him from past chaos. But hey he might even grow to like them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is almost ready for the next Monday so an update will happen. This is obv. Fem!Jack but if I accidentally write He, please comment where so i can fix it, unless it was talking about one of the other characters. :) thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey its rushed at the end but they exist.

Two weeks later Geoff sat in the planning room as he formulated a heist. At the same time he was trying to leave time in between this heist and now. With Ray being skittish and the Mad King blowing up a gas station, he didn’t know when would be better to do a heist.

Gavin sat on the couch, computer on lap, map on the table, and several colored sharpies at his disposal. Red X’s on the map showed where the Mad King had been seen. Lately he’d noticed that the Mad King had been called Vagabond by the news and it stuck as a new nickname. He typed and clicked, pulling up articles and pictures, looking for a background, or for any clues Vagabond might have left behind.

Michael pressed himself into Gavin’s side… for like the tenth time. Gavin was out right ignoring him. Michael leaned his head next to Gavin’s as Gav pulled up an article about the LTD gas station blowing up. Finally Michael sighed figuring Gavin hadn’t even noticed his presence. He stalked off to find Geoff.

Jack was at one of their many garages. This one was near a safe house in the Vinewood Hills. She worked on a car, she and the rest of the crew couldn’t trust someone else to get them a car, in case of an ignition bomb or something else tricky. In so here she was, putting together the car that Michael had designed. A car with deep tints and armored glass, a car capable of withstanding a thousand bullets, a car that would blend into the normal even though it was nearly impenetrable. And it was a prize to her work. 

Ray made himself a bowl of cheerios. He entered the living room and watched as Michael tried to pine for Gavin’s attention. When Michael received none he got up and stalked off, Gavin didn’t even notice. Ray sat on the love seat near the table and looked at the map. The map showed all of Los Santos, from the pier to the city, up past Vinewood Hills, through Blain County and even past Mt Chiliad to where the land hit water.

Red X’s dotted a few places. Some of the X’s had purple highlights, where some had black, and some stayed red. 

Gavin shifted the computer over and drew a red X then continued to outline it in purple. Before Gav could pull his hand away Ray grabbed his wrist. Gav jumped a bit before giving Ray a sheepish smile.

“Christ boi! I wasn’t expecting that, what’s up Ray?” 

“What is this?”

“Oh, Geoff didn’t tell you!” before Ray could answer Gavin was off again, “Well that Mad King guy were tryin’a find him and bring him into the crew. Geoff said he’s either for or against us but I don’t think he’s much of a problem.” Holy shit did he actually have to breathe? Ray thought. “So I have to track him down, the X’s are places he’s been. The purple which is most of the X’s are sightings of him, the black are his heists, or uhh… stunts is suppose... oi did you know that he’s also called Vagabond, oh and this guy really cracks up to the psychopath name he’s got. You should read some of the-“

“Gav, shut up I don’t care about that.”

“Sorry boi.”

“No, I’m sorry. Just bad sleep, sorry Vav.” Calling Gavin by his ‘superhero’ name always cheered him up for some reason. 

“No prob X-Ray, I know I talk a lot when I’m excited. I’ve just found so much.”

“Maybe you should go wear you energy out on Michael.” Ray mumbled. Gavin’s confused face was all it took to know he hadn’t been heard. Gavin smiled as he picked his computer back up and resumed scanning pictures and articles. Ray sat there for a while, his bowl now empty of cheerios and seemingly full of milk. Eventually he got up and dumped it in the sink. Ray went back to the living room and loaded up the Xbox. At Gavin’s look he made it a point to lower the volume.

000000000000000

Ryan climbed the ladder in the alley and ran across the roof to the next building. Burnie, the leader of a crew that Ryan had nearly decimated in Blain County, was after him. Burnie had a whole new gang of misfits and was pissed.

Ryan jumped onto the fire escape sprinting down it. He may be the most ‘Psychotic’ criminal, but he was human none-the-less and had to use human means to escape… not that he’s actually psychotic Right? 

0000000000000000

Michael tried like hell for Geoff’s attention, it was never given. Geoff shoved him away and in the end yelled that he was busy. Michael left the planning room to check back in with Gavin. 

Gavin still sat on the couch in front of the table with his map and markers. Ray sat on the loveseat, staring blankly at the TV. He held an Xbox controller a bit loosely. Michael watched as Ray’s character was shot on screen. Ray didn’t even get mad or upset, not even a small ‘come on’ or ‘dammit’. Just a bored blank look.

Michael sighed and went to his room to grab his jacket. He shoved his phone and wallet into his pocket and grabbed two pistols for safe keeping. Time to cheer Ray up.

0000000000000000

An hour later Michael was walking out of the ammunition furthest from the apartment that was still in the city. After checking at multiple Ammu-Nation’s the registry had a pink sniper. It didn’t. The man had sold it a few weeks ago so Michael bought a regular black/grey one. Michael carried the case under his arm as he pulled his phone out, he did not feel like walking home. 

A few buildings ahead of him shots ring out. There’s a few seconds of silence before more come. Michael ran and pressed himself against the building. He glanced down the alley, at the end of it were four men with guns. Closest to Michael was a man in a skull mask crouched behind a dumpster. On top of the buildings were six other men who slowly moved closer. Michael pulled a pistol from its holster. 

000000000000000000

Ryan was out of ammo. He’d shot a lot of Burnie’s men, but more bullets went to waste. He was crouched behind a dumpster at the moment trying to find a way out. He could roll backwards to keep the protection of the dumpster, then he could do a quick turn and sprint out of the alley. He’d be shot in the open though so he decided sprinting wasn’t the best idea, but instead hug the wall of the shops along the road so none of the roof men could shoot him. 

Before Ryan could enact his plan shots fired that weren’t at the bad end of the alley. The six men atop the buildings dropped as the curly haired man shot them. The four at the end of the alley turned to shoot at his corner cover Michael pulled out his second pistol and kicked it across to the Mad King. Ryan picket up the gun, as the men were still distracted by Michael, he shot them. 

Michael smirked at him “Mad King,” he chuckled, “Vagabond, have we been lookin’ for you.”

0000000000000

Vagabond easily agreed to follow Michael. Michael sent out a quick text to the crew that he had the Mad King with him. Everyone but Ray was in the living room, guns at the ready. Geoff said slight introductions with their codenames before pulling the ‘for or against us card’. It was no shock when Vagabond agreed to join.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok im trying to write the next chap. i know where i want this to go i just cant form it into words... im trying.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another heist, another problem, a better plot......... maybe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy.

Ryan’s room was the furthest room down the left hall. He had only introduced himself as Vagabond. Once he agreed to join they gave them their real names, he just stayed as Vagabond. He had only seen Brownman once within the week he’d been here. He also hadn’t been told Brownman’s real name, the rest of the crew had left that up to Brownman to decide.

The time he had seen him, the kid had stopped and just stared at him. At the time Ryan had still been wearing the skull mask and he assumed it scared the kid like it scared Gavin. They both stared each other down in the hallway until Brownman turned and went back to his room. After that the kid had been avoiding him.

00000000000000

During the second week Ray came out more but he still avoided Ryan. It was also during the second week that Geoff announced a heist. It was a bank heist and everyone was pumped for it. 

Jack was the driver, her nickname was Pilot. Michael would detonate the two gates and the vault, his nickname was Mogar. Gavin would follow Michael ad they would both grab as much cash as possible, his nickname was Freedom. Geoff had crowd control and could help carry the las cases to the car, his nickname was Boss. Ray was their sniper positioned on the opposite building, his nickname was the only name Ryan knew him by, Brownman. Ryan would be ground cover, his nickname was the one they only knew, Vagabond.

They were told to all meet up at safe house 12. Ryan was shown it on a map in case he was split up. The last day of the second week was heist day. 

They were all up early to prepare. Guns were slung over shoulders and holstered to hips. Michael wore leather straps down his legs to clip more explosives to. Brownman earlier had found an extra mask of a grey cat, now he holstered two handguns and a few clips before setting up his sniper. It was regular black and grey and he kept frowning at it. He set the scope on adjusting it until he had it at his liking. Geoff also carries two handguns, both Combat Pistols. With extra clips. He slings a SMG over his shoulder and carries a Micro SMG. Jack has one Combat Pistol, she also has an MG just in case. Gavin has an AP Pistol and a Combat Pistol with multiple clips for both. He also has an SMG over his shoulder. On the way there he will finish hacking in and shut down the cameras. Ryan brings exactly what Geoff is bringing. 

As they finish getting ready the bank should have been open for an hour. Michael and Gavin bring duffle bags for any cash that isn’t bundled in cases. They head out into the garage, and to Michael’s new car that Jack had built. Brownman went to a red and black motorcycle instead. He took off first, they followed a minute later.

The car stopped a block away from the bank. They all turned on their coms.

“Brownman you hear me?” Geoff asks.

“Yeah, not the most beautiful sound to hear today, but I’ll take it.” He replies. There’s a bit of laughter in the car. Geoff smirks.

“Glad to see you’re acting like your usual asshole self. “

“You know you love it. Im in position, there’s two guard out front and the parking lot out back is open to civilians, they shouldn’t bother you if you wrap around.”

Geoff nods at Jack. Jack looks at Gavin, “You in yet?” A few taps later Gavin nods and Jack shoots the car around the corner towards the bank.

The heist goes smoothly, everyone acting their part. It’s the ending that gets rough. There are too many police for Brownman and Vagabond to hold off. They had surrounded the whole right side and were swarming the left. Boss, Freedom, Pilot, and Mogar finished loading in the back.

“Vagabond, get to the car.” Geoff said, his car door slamming in the background of the mic.

“Can’t too many.” Vagabond responded curtly. Vagabond rushed into the alley between a department store and tattoo shop.

“Clear out ASAP!” Jack called as her car screeched out of sight. Vagabond pulled his SMG over his shoulder, his micro out of ammo. He leans against the corner and shoots out police as they move closer. 

“Vagabond, other end of the alley.” Brownman spoke flatly. Vagabond looked over to see Brownman stop his bike just in the opening and nod at him. He ran over and got on gripping Brownman tightly as the kid took off instantly. They avoided roads mostly taking alleys towards safe house 12. 

“Boys there’s a road block up ahead, their blocking major roads we can’t get to 12.” Freedom stated. The following was a ‘fuck’ from Boss, and even louder ‘FUCK’ form Mogar and a punctuated ‘Dammmit’ from Pilot.

“Alright, break town. Brown and Vagabond drop the mic’s, we meet tomorrow at noon in 12.” Boss’s mic dropped immediately after. Brownman clicked his mic off, Vagabond did the same. They stayed mostly to alleys heading north bound. 

Almost 20 minutes later they were out of town riding along dirt paths before hitting the highway. Brownman pulled his cat mask off. Vagabond pulled off the skull mask and pocketed it. They blended into traffic.

000000000000000

Almost 30 minutes later they pulled into a safe house outside the city. There were woods on every side and only a dirt path led up to it. It was a little house, as if for someone to live alone in. Brownman pulled the motorcycle into the attached garage and turned it off. Vagabond let Brownman lead the way inside.

The garage connected to the kitchen. The living room was through an archway to the left and the door on the right led to a hallway. Brownman went to the living room, flopped on the couch leaving his sniper at his side, and closed his eyes. Vagabond took this as his own time to explore the little house.

In the hallway there were three doors and a sliding door at the back that led to an empty pool and backyard. The door at the end of the house closest to the living room led to a bedroom. The next was a bathroom, and the last opened to some stairs that funneled to darkness. Overall it seemed like a normal starter home. Vagabond went back to the living room. He sat in the only other chair, a recliner and took a nap. It really was the only other thing to do here.

Brownman startled awake at the crew phone ringing. They all had normal phones to take when going out as normal people, and then a crew phone for heists with fake names and numbers in case the police ever got it. Vagabond was sitting up in the recliner as Brownman grabbed the phone. 

Harry it blinked, not giving a number. Harry was Geoff’s phone. Brownman answered it but didn’t talk.

“Brownman,” Geoff said, “We jumped town to Ground Zero! We need to meet now at Ground Three! Okay?”

“Yeah, we’ll be there.” He hung up and opened his phone, pulling out the battery. He smashed the SIM and data cards. “Break your cards, police are tracking.” Vagabond nodded pulling apart his phone and doing as Brownman had. 

They headed out on the motorcycle, not putting on their masks. They hardly had finished turning onto the paved road when the first police car came around the corner. To the police though, Ray and Ryan were just friends on a drive.

After a little while down the road Vagabond spoke up. “What’s going on.”

“Geoff told us to get out of town. He called and said he was at Ground Zero, that’s the apartment. That’s the first thing off. Also he said meet at Ground Three. We don’t call safe houses ‘Ground’. Basically it means their trapped or the police already have them.” After that they stayed silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Police know their shit.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crew blew the cops away with this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That summary was the worst pun I've ever written.

A quarter past midnight and they were filling up the gas tank. Ryan went into the stations store to buy snacks as Ray filled it up. From there they rode up to Mt. Chiliad and stayed in the housing up there. Their night was silent and chilly, all the sides of the housing open, one side leading off the cliff by hanger cars. They ate in silence and sat in silence, until they fell asleep in silence.

00000000000000000

The next morning they headed down Mt. Chiliad and refueled. Ray steered them towards the city.

An hour before noon they pulled into the garage under the building. The elevator ride felt impossibly long in their unending silence. The apartment was empty. Ray went to the heist room and Ryan stayed behind in the living room. 

For the rest of the day Ryan walked around a little, watched T.V. and became extremely bored. That is until the breaking news bar popped up at the bottom of the screen. Immediately he clicked over to the news station. A video played from the dead of night. It was a helicopter view of a crashed car surrounded by police. In the road were 4 masked people kneeling on the ground with police around them. The headline: Fake AH Crew Arrested. 

000000000000

Brownman was in the process of holstering several guns and packing explosives when Vagabond came into the planning room. 

“You see the news?”

“Yeah.” Brownman mumbled. He tapped his computer. Sometimes he actually paid attention to what Gavin had to say. He had already found his way into several security cameras linked to police stations. He found the crew through interrogation room cameras. Now he had to get ready. “That news clip was last night. We have to get them before they’re transported.”

“Well, do you have a plan?”

“Ye. It’s only one police station they’re all in. We go in, get them, and blow up the building to get rid of the video evidence of them.”

“Easier said than done. We should make a full plan first before we rush in and get caught too.”

“That’s not…” Brownman sighs and sits down. He drops his head on the table and puts his hands over it. Vagabond sat down next to him, unsure of what to tell the kid. He papped the kids back. As soon as he started Brownman stood up. “If you don’t want to fine, but I’m fucking going!” Brownman pulled a case of C4 from the shelf. He began loading it into his backpack. Vagabond picked up some guns, he grabbed a pack and began putting extra rounds in it. 

“I have an idea.” 

000000000000000

“Ready?” Vagabond said.

“As I’ll ever be.” Brownman murmured through the com. He sat on the building across from the police station. Brownman dropped a brick of C4 down onto a parked car below. Seconds later it went up in flames. He dropped behind the low ledge of the roof and pulled his sniper up. He watched as police inside cautiously moved forward with guns raised. Then something moved on the side. On the left of the building police were making their way around already. 

“Left side door.” Brownman murmured. He fired at one of the shadows. In the distance a body dropped. He fired again and again. Three men down. Brownman aimed his scope towards the glass door. He began picking off the 12 cops he could see through it. 10 managed to die, 2 managed to be assholes. “You should move now. Next station over will get the call soon.”

Vagabond turned the car on. He was only down the road from the station, sitting on the inside of a road block they had set up. He sped down the road, drifting to a stop in front of the station, back of the car facing the doors. In front of him Brownman was sliding down the ladder. Vagabond got out SMG at the ready. He rolled around to the front of the car as police fire opened.

He fired around the front of the car and inside, disrupting every officer and their papers lying about. Brownman stalked across the street silently two buildings down.   
“Left.” Brownman said. The kid leaned against a building, just inside an alley, hidden. Vagabond fired towards the left of the station, sending the police back, then returned to the front doors.

00000000000000000000

Brownman pulled out 2 combat pistols. One to each hand. Vagabond had fired enough down the alley that no officer would be right at the opening. He stepped up to the side of the alley and peaked over. 3 officers were already making their way forward. Brownman raised his guns, stepped out, and fired 3 accurate shots. He picked up one of the smaller bodies, it was lighter. 

As he got to the side door he held the body with his arm around its neck to himself. Human shield. A metal plat rested on the door signaling where the handle was on the inside. He wailed on where it connected to the wall with the butt of his gun. The plate bent slightly and the wall dented. He put the gun in its holster and pried the door open with his now free hand. He stepped back, blocking himself with the door as he pulled his gun out. He adjusted the body directly in front of him. He stepped around the door just as a gun was raised in front of him. He shot as the other man did. The body took that bullet, and many more as he stepped full view into the door, firing at the six or seven other officers in the hallway.

“Well, they know you’re out back.” Vagabond chides through the com. “They’re leaving through the right.” Brownman dropped the body and reloaded his gun. 

“I’m in.” Brownman replied as he set up C4 in the hall. He skirted to the left and into an empty faculty room. He placed more C4 here. He went to the other door. He kicked it open incase officers were on the other side, using it as cover as he bolted down the hall leaving behind yet another C4. He stepped through double doors and place more C4. To the right and in front of him were more double doors. To the left was a hallway with 2 doors. The right was the main room that Vagabond was causing chaos in and trapping some officers. He went straight ahead, toeing open one of the doors hiding behind the other. He heard the distant click of a gun. More police. 

He shoved the left door fully open, using the right as cover. Gunshots came instantly. The door swung back out into the hall, then into the room again. This time Brownman moved in front of the opening, He fired instantly. Seven police down, his body armor taking most of the damage. An aching began in his arm, he pushed the feeling down. 

Brownman walked into the room filled with holding cells and dead bodies.

“Brownman,” Geoff said from the side, “The guard over here has keys.” Ray went over to Geoff’s cell and sure enough a body laid there. He pulled the keys off of the man’s belt loop. Brownman flipped to a key that looked built for the lock. It slid in easily and the cell slid open. He handed the keys to Geoff, only ripping one off. 

Geoff opened Gavin’s cell, then Michaels. While he did that Ray opened the evidence room at the back. Then he began placing C4 everywhere. All computers and desks had it, overdoing it, but still effective. 

“Where’s Pilot.” Geoff grumbled as he moved across the room peering into cells. The three men look slightly beaten as they tried to find her in the room. It only took a few moments for them to go in to the back room, grab their masks and guns, and be ready to find her.

Ray toed open one of the double doors again. From what he could see it was empty, but the left hall was blocked from view. He opened the door into the hall as a shield and peered around. Empty. He moved out, the other 3 following him. Brownman planted C4 down the hall as they moved. 

“Brownman,” Vagabond spoke up, “I’m all out, you got them yet?”

“Finding Pilot right now, have the others.” Brownman murmured back. He looked to Geoff and nodded at the main doors. Geoff tap Michael and they move to cover the doors. Gavin follows Ray.

The first door in the hall they open is empty from people, Ray throws C4 to the far walls and in the middle, still overdoing it but fuck the police, right? They moved on to the second door in the hallway. It was an interrogation room. Down the hall slamming sounds were followed by gunfire. Gavin rushed into the interrogation room and fired at the two officers guarding it. Inside the room, behind glass was Jack, handcuffed to a table.

“Brownman, the barriers are holding cars, we got the officers running in though.” Vagabond spoke up again. Ray dropped C4 that Gav moved to set up. He rammed into the other door, breaking it open into the room Jack was in. Ray slammed the butt of his gun into the chain, breaking it. He handed Jack her mask and a combat pistol. Gav joined them as they moved out into the hall and to the other guys. 

Ray threw a few bricks of C4 through the doors, then gestured to follow him. 

“Vagabond, you better still have the fucking car.” Brownman said.

“Still do, beat up a bit though.”

“Were coming out the left.” Ray said retracing his steps. He kicked the side door open, only to be met with more police. The door swung closed. Gavin and Jack kept their guns pointed at the end of the hall. Michael, Ray, and Geoff moved to the door. When it kicked open this time they were ready. It was done in less than a minute. The 5 moved out.

Vagabond pulled into view, the car taking relentless damage. They piled in quickly and Vagabond took off. The car sped down to a road block they had set up earlier. To the other roads it was a flat wall, but to them they were poorly constructed ramps. 

Hollers went out as they cleared it and the mass of police cars. This was their victory. Ray pulled out his wireless charge and clicked it. Seconds later the station exploded into brilliant light and shattering sound. Victory was beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes Ray is shot in the arm. I'll address that later.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ray finds out about Ryan

Ray woke up on a couch in one of their various warehouses. He had blacked out at some point in the car. There were bandages on his right arm, shoulder, and his legs. He looked over to see Geoff, Gavin, and Michael all sharing one couch. Gav was curled up on Geoff’s chest and Michael laid with his back against the back of the couch, holding Gav and Geoff. All three of them had a bandage set of their own. Jack laid flat on a recliner, her body too covered in bandages. With whatever time the police had with them, it seemed they were trying to make it worth it.

A hand touched Ray’s forehead lightly. He looked over to see Vagabond covered in his skull face paint. Vagabond pulled his hand away.

“You blacked out,” He said, “had a few shots in the arm and three in the leg.” Ray just nodded. He closed his eyes again. He didn’t fall asleep though. There was a slight shuffling from elsewhere in the room.

Ray stayed awake, just laying with his eyes closed for hours. Vagabond moved around the room checking on everyone occasionally, even Ray. 

Geoff groaned slightly. Ray opened his eyes to look over at him. He looked worn out and slightly pained. No doubt Gavin lying on him was hurting.

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Geoff debated moving Gavin off of him. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. His arms hurt too much to move him, that and the kid looked happy. He looked over to see Ray on the other couch staring at him. Geoff nods and Ray nods back. Vagabond silently walks over and quirks an eyebrow at Geoff.

Considering he was feeling better than last night he nodded, that and he didn’t want this creepy mother fucker doin’ shit to him. Vagabond walked off to check on Jack. Last night, after all their yelling had subsided they’d drove silently, Jack giving directions to Vagabond from the backseat. They ended up at safe house 7 in the shipping yard. The 4 in the backseat had clambered out of the car. Vagabond got out of the driver’s seat. Before Ray could, Gav had thrown his door open to hug him. 

Ray’s body had slumped out of the car. His right arm had three bullets go through it along with two places that grazed it, and a bullet lodged in his shoulder. His left leg shot twice and his right grazed once. How he’d managed to keep moving was beyond them. At some point during their ride he’d blacked out, blood covered the passenger side of the car and he was still bleeding.

They had dragged him inside, fixing him first then working on their wounds. Vagabond had been the only one not hurt. When everyone fell asleep he took it upon himself to take care of them. Now here he was, making sure Brownman, or as he now knew as Ray from all the others saying it, hadn’t caught a fever or infection. Despite blood loss the kid was still kicking death in the face. 

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The next morning they made their way back to the apartment. Mostly everyone laid around and played video games, except Ray who stayed in his room alone. 

Ray laid in bed flipping the card above him. He watched the skull turn on the bloodied surface. The only other thing he could compare a skull to was Vagabond, but he hasn’t said anything yet. It’s not like you can go up to someone and say ‘Hey found a skull card, you wear a skull 24/7, I got beat the shit out of, pretty sure it was you?’ Ray’s absolutely sure he’d get his ass kicked again if he did that. In so he just laid there and did nothing but sleep and turn a fucking card.

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Two nights later ray got up. It was the middle of the night. By this time everyone had migrated to their rooms. Ray slid out, card in hand. He went down the left hall and to the last room, the card slid under the door easily. Ray left and lied back down in his room. At worst he was right about Vagabond, or is that at best. Maybe at worst he got his ass kicked again and at best Vagabond brought it up in front of the crew tomorrow. For the next 20 minutes ray laid there wondering if he’d done the right thing. Then a small knock came at his door.

Ray opened the door to find a small box. He dropped the box on his bed, slightly frightened at opening it. He untucked the flaps and opened it.

Inside sat a cell phone, a key, and a white masquerade mask, all on top of his sniper case, holding his beloved pink sniper. Ray took a moment to process this. He thought about what had happened before and the fact that Vagabond hadn’t tried to kill him yet, or hurt anyone here. He was pissed and yet relieved, he also didn’t notice the door opening behind him.

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Vagabond left the box outside of Ray’s room and gave a small knock before leaving. After the kid brought the box inside his room he waited for some reaction, maybe for Ray to come at him guns blazing. But no nothing happened. He decided to check on Ray.

First he tried knocking and got no reply. So he tried again and still nothing. In the end of a little debate he had with himself he decided to just go in. Ray stood next to his bed with the open box on it and had his hands pressed to his eyes. He stood there completely still. Ryan went over and placed a hand on Ray’s shoulder. Ray jumped away from the touch and even though he’s still recovering from hi wounds, he puts his hands up as if ready to throw a punch. Ray glared Vagabond down and Vagabond stared softly back in their slightly awkward silence.

It was minutes later that the silence was broken, and it was Vagabond who broke it with a mumbled “Sorry.” Before they returned to silence. Ray finally dropped his guard, his glare shifting to the floor. His fists clenched at his sides. It was Vagabond again who broke the silence, “I can explain if you want.”

Ray just nods slightly so Vagabond tells him. He tells the kid about fucking with Burnie in Blaine County and how the guy came back to kill him. Vagabond told him how he needed help, and as the Fake AH Crew was the strongest he thought they would have more of an incentive to track him if he’d done something to them. He told Ray that he assumed he could prove he was sort of worthy of being here, even after doing what he had done. After he told Ray all of this they returned to silence. 

Ray sat down on his bed and shook his head. “You didn’t need to though.” He says flatly, “with all that shit you did around town, they already wanted to track you. I never even told them what fucking happened, they had no fucking clue.” Ray says, he rubs his eyes and lays back on his bed. Ryan moves the box to the floor and sat down next to the younger. 

“You’re fucking kidding me. All that stuff I did was to distract Burnie, not you guys.” Vagabond laughs slightly, “Sorry for fucking you up, man.”

“You didn’t fuck me up, you knocked me out, trust me when I tell you, one is more pleasurable.” Ray winks at the other.

Vagabond smirks, “Hey, anytime.”

“What? A fuck or a hit?” 

Vagabond laughs again. He can’t tell if the kid is flirting with him or fucking with him.

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The next morning Ryan woke up in Ray’s bed. Not that they’d done anything. Ray had invited him to chill and they put on a movie from Netflix. Ryan was pretty sure it was the kid’s way of saying he was over it. Apparently the kid also had a knack for moving in his sleep. His head now rested on Ryan’s chest, his entire body was lying diagonally across the bed, one leg hanging off the edge, the other bent slightly. Ray’s hair stuck up everywhere from moving, and for once he didn’t look slightly pissed off or contemplative, he looked like he was having one of those dreams you never want to wake up from. The ones that falling is peaceful in.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot isn't dead. Other things may be though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been updating Sunday due to school on Monday.

*A few weeks later*

Neither of the guys brought the situation up to the crew. Ray stopped ignoring Vagabond to the point of pestering, which in turn is how he got out his real name, Ryan. They both settled into a mutual state of making fun of each other and flirting/not-flirting. The rest of the crew assumed Ray had just gotten accustomed to Ryan’s presence and that’s why he acted as he did. That and they began to notice Ryan disappearing into Ray’s room and all the popcorn bags that ended in the trash.

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Geoff looked up from the planning map as Jack came in. She placed a cup of coffee in front of him.

“Rays been playing nice.” She says, “They’ve been getting close.”

“Honestly, they should just fuck already.” Geoff replies with a slight chuckle. Jack laughs too. The sound of it drowned out by the explosion from the living room.

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Gavin sat on Michael’s lap in the living room. Currently Michael was kicking Gav’s ass in Mario Kart. Michael finished his last lap with Gav only seconds behind him, officialy he’d won about ten times today. Gavin refused to give in. 

“Mmm. Boi before next round im’a grab some doritos.” Gavin states like it’s the biggest fucking fact in the world. He still talks like a fucking weirdo. Gav disappears into the kitchen. Michael picked up the remote to turn the volume down. As he clicked the button he heard the loudest noise in his life, like he was standing in the midst of thunder itself. The sharpest pain ripped through him, like a knife digging in slowly at everypoint in his body at once. He was pretty sure he screamed, but within seconds that was gone, and he was too.

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Gavin was in the kitchen when the doors imploded. Blasts of fire flew through them. Thunderous noise surrounded him and the ground felt as if it were shaking. As the doors began to set back into place he moved forward. He went into the living room, narrowly avoiding fire that pockets the room. The far wall by the balcony was blown out the walls and floors were scorched to hell, all the furniture on fire. Gavin didn’t realize he was screaming when he found Michael burning corpse, melting skin against the couch. 

Gavin reached forward for the burning body, his burning boy. He tried to grab him ignoring the fire, he just needed to hold him, to put him out. Geoff’s arms wrapped around his waist and yanked him back before he could touch Michael. Gavin fought against Geoff, kicking and screaming as he went. Jack patted his head trying to sooth the boy in any way possible. Geoff held on tighter and cried softly and silently.

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Ray sat on Ryan’s lap, his head pressed to Rye’s chest. For a while they’ve been getting closer and closer, their flirting increasing and maybe going a step overboard. Ryan’s hand moved through Ray’s hair. The T.V. played some comedy neither of them were watching. Ray kept his eyes closed and focused on the soft steady beat of Ryan’s heart. Rye bent his head down and kissed the top of Ray’s. A small smile flitted across both their faces. Ryan continued a small trail of kisses down the side of Ray’s head and to his neck.

Ray shifted so he was straddling Ryan’s lap. He tilted his head onto Rye’s shoulder and closed his eyes, humming contently as Ryan continued. Ryan’s hands ran over Ray’s waist, coming up under his shirt. Ray shifted his hips into Ryan. A small sigh came out of the younger. Thunder rocked through the room and everything seemed to shake. Ray held onto Ryan as the sound began to fade to a rumbling. From the other room came guttural screaming. It shifted from a solid sound to a broken ‘no’ into a large string of words. 

“NO, MICHAEL, NO, BOI, COME ON, NO NOO NOOO NOOOOO, STOP, LET ME HELP HIM, NOOOO, STOP, MICHAEL, MICHAEL, STOOOP, PLEASE, MICHAEL!” Ray threw himself of the bed bursting out the door, he ran for the living room, Ryan beside him.

Awful stench filled the air from Michael’s burning corpse. Gavin cried making sounds verging on screams. Geoff held the kid and cried into him. Jack tried to calm Gavin down. Ray leaned back a little. Seeing Michael dead wasn’t something he completely expected. Of course their line of work would mean it would happen eventually but…

Ryan pulled Ray against him. Ray continued to stare at Michael burning as the older dragged him past the flames and out of the apartment. Jack pulled Geoff and Gavin along with her. They took Michael’s armored car to safe house 9.

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Safe house 9 was a low maintenance 1 bedroom apartment in the slums of Los Santos. They used it mostly as a backup.

Geoff and Gavin were in the bedroom, having their own moment of silence for Michael. Jack sat on the armchair crying silently for the fallen member of their own little ‘family’. Ryan, the least closest to Michael, sat on the couch mourning the loss of a friend. Ray, curled into Ryan, buried his head to Rye’s chest crying in his own silence. Michael had been the whole reason he was in the crew and furthermore the reason he was still alive. Now he was gone.

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Geoff had ordered Gavin to locate the assholes who had done this. Ray tipped him off about Burnie holding a Grudge against Ryan. While Gav had his computer open and was furiously typing and clicking, Geoff and Jack had gone to check on their armory. They were going to bring back weapons and whatever explosives Michael had made and left behind. Ryan showed Ray on a map where Burnie had previously been, the destroyed bunkers and what not. From the look of it, Burnie was into secluded areas. 

Assuming Bernie had been close enough to attack Ryan before he was in the crew, and bomb them now, it would make sense if Bernie’s gang was on the edge of town somewhere. Close and secluded seemed optimal for what he wanted.

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Nearly 2 hours later Gavin had a location and was furiously drawing on a laminated map. He had colored lines where each of them should be. He had a key with their specific colors and what they should do. Geoff and Jack pulled up, Jack in the armored car and Geoff in a van with their supplies. They were pulling this tonight.

Geoff revised the plan and they began to take action. Ray once again re-united with his pink sniper and he donned his white masquerade mask. Ryan packed a minigun into the car, one of Michael’s favorite weapons to pull and yell “Last Stand” even though it never was. Jack grabbed her usual guns liking the smaller, quicker variety. Gav and Geoff packed up too, Gav threw a bunch of Michael’s bombs and such into the car as well. They left the apartment and traveled to the edge of the slums that bordered the city. 

Ray was dropped off at a car park for sniping. The others drove down in Michael’s quintessence of a car, his legacy to drag on, ready to make their grand entrance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhahahahhahahahha I'd say I'm sorry but I'm not. Don't worry I'll only hurt this more.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geoff, Jack, and Gavin, all go in. Ray and Ryan are left outside. Lets see where the bullet lands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little shorter than the others and ends with a cliff hanger so sorry. I got sick and couldn't keep writing.

Ray watched from above through the scope. Their car flying over the asphalt, skidding to a stop in front of the doors, lining the car up sideways. They got out using the car as cover and set off some warning shots. Ryan grabbed the Mini-Gun. The opposing men inside began riling up. Ray sniped at any that were making their way out. Ryan started up the Mini-Gun blasting it inside the building.

Ray followed Geoff, Gavin and Jack with his scope, picking off possible threats as they ran for the side of the building. Ryan continued to fire inside, keeping the attention on him. 

 

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Geoff led what was left of his crew in the side door. He kept his gun raised as he entered. He pressed himself to the right wall, Jack taking the left, and Gav following him. He slid down the hall, ready to shoot around Jack’s corner, and Jack at the ready to shoot around her leaders. Gav crouched ready to roll when the firing started. Jack and Geoff moved to the edge of the hall facing diagonally looking down the other side. Their firing crossed as they began to take down Burnie’s men that had lined up in their part of the hall.

With Burnie’s men distracted around the corners, and Jack and Geoff holding them off, Gav rolled across the opening and into the hall across from them. Gav stood and ran down the hall slowing as he reached another intersection. Geoff swore in the background. Gav looked over to see him slinking back into the narrow hall, a hand on his wrist.

Geoff reloaded his gun. His wrist burned where a bullet had deeply marked it. The bullet hadn’t imbedded but it was a hell of deep graze. He put a hand over his wrist, counted to three, and then looked back up. Gavin stared at him from down the hall, Geoff raised his gun. The other shot came out before his, and Gavin’s legs crumpled beneath him, his body tumbling down to the floor. Geoff screamed running past the intersection of hallways and fired at the man who had taken the life of his boy, his Gavin. He didn’t stop shooting when the man hit the ground. He didn’t stop pulling the trigger when the gun just clicked. He didn’t stop when he fell to his knees gun still pointed at the fucking asshole on the ground.

He stopped when Jack ripped him to the side of the hall. He stopped as Jack began firing down the hall towards the intersection they had been at. He stopped when he realized he needed to protect the rest of his family. He pulled the SMG over his shoulder. Geoff looked around the intersection that Gav had stopped at. He fired down the right hall. Down the left was the main opening to the warehouse. No men would come from there anymore, not with Vagabond firing inside. That’s when Geoff began to realize there was a voice in his ear. 

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Ray sniped in through windows. He sniped men that tried to leave other side doors. He sniped anyone he saw that wasn’t his own. Ryan fired into the main bay causing many of Burnie’s guys to run down the hall. That meant the guys and Jack would have a bit more men to deal with. It was only a few minutes in when Geoff said shit. Vagabond was the first to ask what had happened but that was drowned out mostly by the com picking up gunfire instead. Then there was a soft gasping sound that couldn’t be placed, and a gunshot with it, followed by screaming from Geoff. 

Ray tried to move the scope to see the hall, but windows are never placed in his damn favor. There were gunshots ringing behind Geoff’s yelling then there was barely audible clicking as he made this chocking sobbing noise. Ray shifted uneasily.

“Boss, Geoff, get the fuck up NOW. Let’s go, god damn it.” Jack’s voice was loud and persistent. 

“Jack, Geoff, Gav, what happened….” Nothing responded. “Guys come on. GUYS don’t fucking do this.” There was no fucking reason to pull silence right now. This was bullshit. Ray adjusted the mic in his ear. “Guys, Jack, Geoff, Gav, what’s happening.” He tried again.

“Repeat, com is breaking up Ray, can’t really hear you. Repeat.” Jack said. Ray could hear her just fine. 

“Jack, this is Ray what happened.”

“Gav’s down.” Geoff says over the com. His voice is cracked and tired, it’s hurt and angry, it’s the voice of someone broken. Ray’s eyes unfocused. Vav was down. Did Geoff mean down down or just wounded down. 

“Injured or down down?” Ray askes his voice barely coming out. After Michael he didn’t think he could stand to lose another piece of his life. Not this soon at least. 

“Repeat.” Jack says. The com fuzzes up on her words now. Her voice faint in the little void of fuzz, maybe that’s just his mind. Ray blinks and pulls his sniper back in front of him. He clicks the adjustment up slightly peering through windows. He can wait for an answer. He can wait to be devastated or relieved. He can’t deal with any more pain right now. A sharp blow hits him in the side of the head. 

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Geoff pulls Gavin’s body against him. He pushes the bear mask the younger had worn in honor of Michael out of the way. He brushed hair off of his face, ignoring the blood dripping from the back of his head. Geoff placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and stood up. Before he left he swore he’d grab Gav’s body. Geoff placed a bit of Michael’s C4 on the floor, when they left this place was going down too. He and Jack began to make their way down the right hallway. At every indent in the wall they stopped to check for another man and place another C4. At every door they shuffled past quickly, trying to avoid more bullets. They finally made it to the back of the warehouse.

There was a room full of people all holding guns. The room was dark and shadowy despite industrial lights up in the ceiling. There were crates and barrels littering the floor and sides of the room. Geoff moved behind a concrete slab. Jack moved to a crate about ten feet from her boss. Across the room, about midway up were catwalks. In the middle was a man with goatee and short hair that curled slightly. He wore plain black, and had a set of glasses that only seemed to harden his glare. He watched over the room, as men moved back and forth, waiting for the people who were already here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HHAAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHAHAH can't wait to see what happens next right?


	9. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter, the end. Finally we see the B-team and in so we close. With this out, i say 'sorry' because it's gonna hurt.

Geoff looked over at Jack. He pointed up at the black clad man above. Jack nodded pulling up her combat pistol. A gun clicked behind Geoff from the hall they’d come down. 2 Men came out. The man up on the catwalk smiled coldly.

“How nice of you to come right to me.”

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Ray rolled with the hit. He gripped his sniper, whipping the base out towards where the blow came from. The gun made contact with a grunt coming from the other. Ray pushed himself to his feet. In front of him stood a girl with blond hair, most likely dyed. She wore ripped jeans with flannel. She raised an arm as she darted forward, a punch at the ready. Ray skirted to the side, grabbed her arm and threw her down. He raised his leg to stomp her but she rolled away quickly. 

“It’s gonna take more than that you little bitch.” She growled rolling to her knees. She lunged forward and clipped Ray enough to force him to the ground. Quickly she was on top of him, pinning his waist under her, one of his hands under her knee and the other held by her. Ray tried to throw her off but to be honest she was pretty fucking strong, and there was a reason he stuck to long distance combat. She pulled up her free arm and wailed a fist into his face. Ray tried to free either of his hands, unsuccessfully and preceded to get punched in the face again.

Another hit came down and darkness streaked across his vision. He coughed up a bit of blood, hardly able to breathe. Another fist rained down, his head forced down into the concrete, eyes fluttering closed. Ray tried to open them, just to keep himself from falling, barely he could see her fist raise again, and then her body slumped down onto him.

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Ryan had run out of ammo pretty damn quick. That didn’t really matter though considering there was nothing left to shoot. He had heard Geoff scream over the com but there was really nothing he could do. Jack had sounded slightly panicked, but still in control, and from what he could hear from Ray he was beginning to feel panic set in too. 

“Brownman.” He tries. Nothing. He sighs. There’s no movement in the warehouse. “Boss.” He tries again. Nothing but static. His mic isn’t connecting. He clicked the button on the side, off then back on. Little noises come through the static then it goes silent. Ryan got in the car and started it up. He glanced back inside the warehouse. Then down at the dashboard. The silence over the com breaks by a grunt. Ray. Ryan looked up at the car park, and then glanced back at the warehouse. He stepped on the gas whipping the car back towards Ray.

Ryan skidded the car around the circular drive up. Through the static of the broken com he could hear a slight grunt. He stopped on Ray’s floor, practically throwing himself out of the car. He rolled to his feet pulling up his pistol. A girl with dyed blond hair sat on Ray. She wailed a fist into him. Ray’s eyes rolled back, his eyelids fluttering. Ryan aimed and pulled the trigger as she raised her fist again. Her body slumped over Ray’s. 

Ryan ran over, throwing her body off of Ray. The side of his head was bloody, his nose dripped blood and, all in all, it covered most of his face. Ray’s eyes opened slightly and he passed a pained smile on to Ryan. Ryan picked the younger up and carried him to the car. He put Ray in the backseat and began checking the side of his head. 

Behind Ryan, an explosion sounded and fire wailed up into the sky.

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Geoff glanced at Jack, still behind a crate, unseen to the man above, and the guys with guns. Geoff stood up, gun still in hand. Jack moved to the next side of the crate, still unseen, and looked around. There were too many men to take down with just the two of them. The com was buzzing with static, their connections cut. She peeked over the side at Geoff, held at gunpoint.

“I assume your Burnie.” Geoff spoke, his voice loud and clear, not a hint of fear showing. He glanced towards a tattered window, making the smallest gesture he could with his head, hoping Jack knew what he meant. 

“Drop the gun.” Burnie said. Geoff placed it down on the concrete barrier, keeping it at arm’s length. Burnie smirked. Geoff put his hand over the detonator at his side. “Drop it.” Burnie said, unappreciative of Geoff’s subordination, dropping one gun and immediately going for another.

The window shattered to the side as someone jumped through it. Immediately gunfire was directed there. Geoff pulled the detonator off his belt and held it up. He waited for them to stop firing, hoped Jack was far enough away, and clicked it in. 

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When Jack saw what Geoff was gonna do, she knew what he meant when he nodded at the window. Burnie was preoccupied with Geoff, everyone had their eyes on him, waiting for the signal to fire, or for him to screw up. That was her chance. She ran and jumped through the shitty glass window, landing with her hands down on the pavement, glass glittering her and the road as it fell like fresh rain. 

She pushed herself up and ran down the alley between this warehouse and the next one over. Jack made it out by the front loading bay when the C4 went off. Luckily they hadn’t placed C4 near the front of the building. The blast still sent her to the ground, debris and fire littering the sky only to rain down its beautiful destruction. Jack pushed herself back up and ran to where the car no longer was. She kept pushing forward, over to the next warehouse and leaned against the wall. The sun rose up on the horizon, not even 24 hours after Michael had she lost yet another ‘son’ and Geoff. And now she had no clue to where Ray was nor Vagabond. She let herself rest a second against the wall. 

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The flames rose up high in a large plume. Ray tried to focus on the fire, his mind stuck in a slow flurry. Ryan pushed him into the car and closed the door. Ray closed his eyes and let himself go with the movements of the car as it rolled down the ramp. Ryan drove out onto the road, cutting across over to the warehouse. Jack leaned against the side of another, sunlight began crawling up the road and across the rubble. Jack came over to the car, getting in the back with Ray, tears streaking her face. Ryan began to drive, knowing there was nothing left here. Jack pulled Ray to her, stroking the side of his head least covered in blood. She still had some left, she still had part of her ‘family’. 

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Eventually they pulled back up to safe house 9. Ryan got out. He helped Jack up, steadying her on shaking legs, before she moved away from him to make her way inside. Ryan pulled Ray up into his arms and carried the younger inside where he could bandage his wounds.

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*Months later*

The ‘crew’ lived in one of the newer penthouses built up in Los Santos. Jack sat in a cushy armchair ready and smiling down at her book. Ryan half lay, half sat on the couch with Ray pressed against him playing Mario Kart. He wasn’t the best at it but he could play it off as wanting Ray to win, even though Ray ‘gave’ him a win every now and then. 

One of their newer members, Jeremy Dooley was off in the kitchen having a ‘playful’ argument with their other new member, Matt Bragg. They exchanged soft shoves that soon went over the top into an all-out fist fight. A broken hand, two sprained wrists, shattered glass table, and missing chair later they stopped.

Their last new member they had found running the strip club down the road, she was fair and evasive and could shoot you down with a glare. Lindsay Tuggey stood on the balcony, she enjoyed this moment as their latest heist went as planned. She gazed over the city that she now had under her fingertips, and knew that it all could be ripped away in a second as the previous leader of The Fake AH Crew had had it happened to. The difference is that she could calculate better. She knew what her and her crew were capable of, and her crew knew that she knew that, and that’s why she was appointed leader with Jack. She would do better next time, every heist she outdid herself and she would continue to do so. After all you gotta have a little flare in life, repetition gets boring. For now though, before she continued her planning, she let herself have this moment. The sun lit up her hair in fiery oranges and reds as it descended under the Vinewood Hills and she took in the scenery of the darkened streets that lit up in bright signs and cheery smiles, she took in the scenery that was hers to play in, in her dark game of cops and robbers.


End file.
